Baseboard cable housing

ABSTRACT

The invention is a special baseboard that looks like any ordinary baseboard, yet is simple to install and has an added benefit of having a removable front panel. Once removed the invention will give access to the built-in cable tray to which cables can be retained and housed when the front part is replaced. One of the unique benefits of this invention is that no surrounding decor will be damaged by the correct removal and replacement of the front panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The “baseboard cable housing” was first thought of when I was installing a home cinema system in my home. The home cinema set up required 2 surround speakers and 2 main front speakers to be wired to the A/V receiver amplifier. To wire the surround speakers required two long lengths of cable running along the carpet from one end of the room to the other, and looked very untidy. I also had a telephone extention installed into the same room, which required the telephone cable being stapled to the baseboard which also looked untidy and messy. So I thought to myself why not somehow run the cable in the baseboard, hence the invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The nature of the invention was to design a special baseboard housing, that could accommodate cables.

[0003] The baseboard housing had to look like any typical baseboard already available, and installation would have to be as simple as possible, so not to deter the DIY enthusiast. Also when installing the baseboard, corners should not be a problem, and should not hinder the removable part of the baseboard.

[0004] The baseboard should also not damage any surrounding decor that would have been rendered up to the baseboard, when accessing the housed cables by again removing the removable part of the baseboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1A is a component drawing of FIG. 1B, showing the three parts that make up one of the components of the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 1B is a composite drawing, showing all three components in FIG. 1A fitted together.

[0007]FIG. 2A is a component drawing of FIG. 2B, showing the three parts that make up the invention.

[0008]FIG. 2B is a composite drawing, showing all three components in FIG. 2A fitted together.

[0009]FIG. 3A, 3B and 3C together show in sequence the operation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] After taking all the above in “Brief summary of the Invention” into consideration the final design of the invention is as follows.

[0011] The invention is constructed from three parts (1,2,3).

Part Number 1

[0012] Part number 1 is the rear of the invention. This is manufactured from either three separate pieces of thin sheet steel (4,5,6), spot welded together or from moulded plastic of the appropriate type. With respect to the metal material, there is an ‘L’ shaped base, and two special shaped brackets, construction would be done during manufacturing, for construction details please see Diagrams FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. For installation, the rear of the invention is cut to size and is secured to the wall. The method of securing the rear depends on the wall material, so as an example, with a plasterboard wall you would use plasterboard fixings i.e. ???. Another example is brick and mortar wall, drill holes into the middle of the rear approximately 250 cm apart, and use screws and wall plugs to secure.

[0013] Once in place the function of the rear of the invention is to support part number two and three. Also the middle special shaped bracket is used as a tray to retain the cables.

Part Number 2

[0014] Part number 2 is a small wooden or plastic strip. This is fixed to the top of part number 1 after its installation, this will finish cosmetically the rear part of the baseboard. The wooden or plastic strip can then be painted, and the decor can be rendered up to the painted wooden or plastic strip, as if it were a standard baseboard. If part number 1 is made from moulded plastic, then part number 2 could be moulded into part number 1 so that the two parts are made from a single moulded manufacturing process.

Part Number 3

[0015] Part number 3 is the final part of the invention. This part can be manufactured from either MDF (Medium Density Fibre), wood or molded plastic of the appropriate type. With respect to part number 3 being manufactured from MDF, during manufacture it is shaped, hollowed out, then two slots are cut out of it, one slot being almost at the top and the other at the very bottom. Installation is simple, the front part is cut to size, and then painted if desired. The two slots that have been cut out during manufacture then slide vertically into the top and bottom bracket.

[0016] The final construction is shown in FIG. 2B.

Using the Invention

[0017] Once the invention is installed you are then ready to house cables.

[0018] Housing of cables can be done in two ways, either by entering cables from the rear of the baseboard or by drilling a hole into part number 3. One example of wanting to enter the baseboard housing from the rear is that of routing cables from say one room to the other, this would entail drilling a hole through part number 1, and then drilling through the wall to the other room, which may also have the same baseboard cable housing.

[0019] The other method is by drilling a hole into part number 3. This procedure would require the removal of part number 3 (see FIG. 3A,B,C), a hole drilled through part number 3, then the cable or cables can be fed through the hole on to the inventions cable tray.

Using the Invention

[0020] Once the invention is installed you are then ready to house cables.

[0021] Housing of cables can be done in two ways, either by entering cables from the rear of the baseboard or by drilling a hole into part number 3. One example of wanting to enter the baseboard housing from the rear is that of routing cables from say one room to the other, this would entail drilling a hole through part number 1, and then drilling through the wall to the other room, which may also have the same baseboard cable housing.

[0022] The other method is by drilling a hole into part number 3. This procedure would require the removal of part number 3 (see FIG. 3A,B,C), a hole drilled through part number 3, then the cable or cables can be fed through the hole on to the inventions cable tray.

[0023] The invention “Baseboard cable Housing” has Nine claims. 

1. The invention looks like any typical baseboard, but has the added benefit of housing many cables, and cable types, utilizing the cable tray on part number one.
 2. The invention has been designed so that once installed part number 3 can be removed to access the cables without damaging the surrounding decor which has been rendered up to the baseboard. It must be noted that surrounding decor can be damaged due to incorrect removal and replacement of part number
 3. 3. Part number 3 is designed to be removed vertically, this is essential, as this enables the baseboard to be fitted into corners, and installation of the invention into corners is simple.
 4. To get access of the cables from behind the baseboard is very simple. A small hole is drilled into the baseboard so that you can feed out the cable to its correct destination.
 5. The baseboard cable housing can be made into any length.
 6. The cable tray also acts as a reinforcement for the baseboard part number three.
 7. The cable tray can be made of of any size within reason to house more cables.
 8. Part number 1 can be made from either thin sheet steel, or moulded plastic of the appropriate type.
 9. Part number 2 can be a moulded intergral part of part number 1 if manufactured from moulded plastic of the appropriate type. 